About Me

Amanda:I've always had a love of cooking. As a teenager, when most of my friends were watching sitcoms, I was watching Food Network. I was always experimenting on my family with my "creations." Recently I have found a new passion in food. I now follow the principles of Weston A. Price Foundation, using Real Food when I cook. I've eliminated processed foods from my life. I don't use too many measurements when I cook, just a lot of love.

I have opened up this blog to my family and some friends, so there will be a lot of recipes to enjoy. As always, please leave comments, and suggestions. If you try one of our recipes, please let us know what you thought of it! To find out more about me, visit my personal blog here.

Contributing Cooks:

Julie:One of my wonderful sister-in-laws. Shes a great mom of two. She and I share a passion for food. One of her favorite weekend spots is to go hang out at the gourmet supermarket to take in the sights! You can visit her personal blog here.

Karen:My Momma. Yes, I'm almost 30 and call her Momma. She encouraged my love for food by helping me cook many dinners while I was growing up. I cooked spaghetti so many times, that to this day, we are both "tired" of it. But back then she never complained.

Jules:I met Jules in the blogsphere and fell in love with her blog, Far from the Sticks. Here is a little more about her in her own words: I grew up in the wilds of New Hampshire. After college I went in search of warmth and sun and ended up in San Diego. In Feb. '09 I moved to Ankara, Turkey with my fiance. Officially I am now an ex-pat. I am currently butchering Turkish in my attempt to learn it, but have had more success with the food. I pounce at any chance to try a new dish, and have few boundaries when it comes to what I won't eat. Through my exeriences I am learning the intricacies of a cuisine that varies from Mediterranean to Anatolian. Growing up I never imagined this particular adventure but nonetheless am excited for what is to come.

Recipes I want to try

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Friday, October 2, 2009

Another Homemade Hamburger Helper

Hamburger Helper is probably a copyrighted term, but I don't know how else to describe ground beef/gravy dishes. They are so simple to make from scratch and making it homemade there is no preservatives. I would never consider this a company dish, but for a family dish it is filling and cheap. This version is extremely weight watchers friendly because it only has 1/2 lb of beef for four servings (you can add more beef if you aren't on a diet.) It's also very healthy with the vegetables, and fiber that it has in it! Oh, and for those that are curious, I'm still in denial that I'm doing weight watchers and I still don't want to talk about it. By the way, this is a huge portion for 4pts, you are filling up on fiber and vegetables but it feels like you are eating a big beefy dish. Substituting rice will increase points.

In a small pot put the 1 cup of barley with one cup of water and one cup of beef broth. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes.

In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic. Add ground beef. Break up into small pieces. Since there isn't much meat in the dish, having it in small bits ensures you get a little bit of meat in each bite. Add rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper. Add diced mushrooms and cubed zucchini. Continue cooking on med-hi to hi until mushrooms start to brown. Add Worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the meat and mushroom mixture. Stir until the cornstarch dissolves into the dish. Add about 2 cups of beef broth and bring to a boil. If it thickens too much, add more water (or broth) if it is too loose, keep boiling until it reduces and thickens a bit. Add barley when it is finished. Serves 4.Weight Watchers: 4 pts per servingWheat roll on the side was an additional 1 point.-Amanda